heroically average
by Quicquidlibet
Summary: Because everyone's heroic in their own way.


_Everyone's a hero in their own way  
>In their own not-that-heroic way<em>

**-h - e - r - o - i - c-**

_She's somebody's hero  
>A hero to her baby with a skinned up knee<br>A little kiss is all she needs  
>The keeper of the cheerios<br>__The voice that brings Snow White to life  
>Bedtime stories every night<br>And that smile lets her know  
>She's somebody's hero<em>

Maddie Fenton beamed with joy when her seven year old son chose her for his second grade 'hero' project. The young students had been told to think of someone they considered a hero that most people normally wouldn't think of as one. Two years before when her daughter had done the project, she had chosen a teacher of hers. Maddie had been hurt but didn't mention it, although her husband had been very vocal in his thoughts that Jazz should have picked either him or her mother.

So, when her little boy tugged on her leg as she cooked their dinner, saying "Mommy, will you help me with my project? I'd ask Jazz, but it's about you so I thought you'd be better help" she smiled and tried not to show that her eyes were tearing up with happiness at his words. She was so touched. "I'd love to, sweetie. Just let me finish dinner first, ok?" she told him, watching him nod his small head of black hair and go back into the living room to wait for dinner.

She finished dinner quickly, taking care not to burn or mutate anything this time around. She watched with a smile as her three family members slowly made their way into the kitchen and seating themselves at the table. There was her husband, laughing loudly at something Jazz had said; she loved that laugh. (Right, didn't he make a major break through in the lab today? He was in an even happier mood than usual.) Jazz going on about what she had learned that day, already a perfect student; she was going to do great things when she got older. (That reminded her; she had an appointment with the principal to discuss Jazz moving up a grade on Friday. She should probably put that on the calendar so she won't forget.) And Danny asking question after question as Jazz told him about his favorite subject, astronomy; he already wanted to be an astronaut. (His birthday was coming up soon, and hadn't he asked for another model rocket? She hoped there was another model coming out soon, or she'd have to get him a repeat.)

For years after, she kept his project on the fridge, smiling whenever she saw the short phrase, "My mommy's a hero because I drive her crazy and she loves me anyway."

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><strong>**-E-**

"Mom, Dad? Why do you guys want to catch that Phantom ghost, anyway? Isn't he helping the town?" Danny had asked. Maddie lifted her goggles to gaze at her fourteen year old son standing near the stairs, watching them work. "If he wants protect Amity Park, isn't that a good thing?"

"Danny, sweetie, he's a ghost. All ghosts are evil. I don't know what he gets out of playing hero, but he's still evil," she told her son, not noticing the look of hurt flash across his face. "He must have some ulterior motive protecting our town. But don't worry, we're going to catch him soon!" she exclaimed with a reassuring smile, expecting him to smile back.

He didn't. "Well… ok, I guess. Good luck," and with that, he walked out of the lab, his head hanging slightly. Maddie raised an eyebrow, puzzled, before deciding it was probably nothing. Danny had always felt a little bad for any creatures used in experiments, even ghosts. He usually just buried the feelings away and left it alone. He was probably feeling bad for Phantom, knowing what his parents would do when they caught the ghost. That must be it.

**-A-  
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><strong>**-A-  
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><strong>**-E-**

When she really thought about it, Maddie realized that Danny always denied it when someone called him special. This applied to all sorts of other compliments.

She'd been surprised and impressed when he had managed to know more than Jazz when it came to astronomy. She was secretly cheering on the inside when it happened; this was proof that he wasn't any less than his sister when it came to intelligence. All he lacked was motivation; if he really wanted to he could do just as well as Jazz in school, possibly better. Even Jazz had been thrilled. It wasn't that she wanted to be better than Danny, it just seemed like it. She had smiled and told him, "You know Danny, at this rate, you'll be one of the most knowledgeable workers at NASA!" Maddie had expected the fifteen year old to soak up the compliment with confidence, but then, when did he ever do what she expected? Instead, he blushed and smiled softly, muttering a quiet "Yeah, sure," in a disbelieving voice.

She had been startled to see Danny Phantom have the same reaction to a compliment. She had been watching him fight the Red Huntress, a ghost hunter she had seen around Amity Park, when the girl gave a grudging "Nice shot," after he took out another ghost. She was shocked; ghosts didn't have feelings, so how was he embarrassed? And how did he blush without blood in his system. She made a mental note to study that when she captured him.

Danny had just turned seventeen when he told her and Jack. He had come to them looking extremely nervous, so of course their curiosity spiked. Stuttering out that he had to tell them something, he made them promise not to freak out on him, as he put it. Taking a deep breath, he began, "You remember my accident in the lab three years ago?" They listened with rapt attention as he spoke, eyes widening as they realized just what they had put him through for the past few years. Maddie was on the verge of tears. Her son, her baby boy, had technically died because of their invention and she hadn't even noticed. And she had threatened him, hunted him! Called him evil - to his face! What kind of mother was she?

After minutes of her and Jack apologizing and reassuring that they loved him and wouldn't treat him any differently, she smiled at him and half-whispered, "Look at you. My little boy's a hero," and he blushed, denying it like any other compliment he received. Maddie's eyes welled up with tears of pride and she pulled into a tight hug. "We love you, you crazy boy."

_I try to hide my true identity  
><em>_But no one knows it's only me  
><em>_I'm just your average, ordinary, everyday superhero  
><em>_Trying to save the world, but never really sure  
><em>_I'm just your average, ordinary, everyday superhero  
><em>_Nothing more than that, that's all I really am_

**-h - e - r - o - i - c-**

_Everyone's a hero in their own way  
><em>_Everyone's got villains they must face  
>They're not as cool as mine<br>But folks you know it's fine to know your place_

* * *

><p><strong>The songs are Everyone's A Hero from Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog, Somebody's Hero by Jamie O'Neal, and Everyday Superhero by Smash Mouth. As you can see, Phantom Planet never happened in this. WOO FOR AU! Ha.<strong>

**This is my first crack at Danny Phantom stuff, so… I was actually hoping to add to my other stuff, but when inspiration hits, it leaves a bruise.**

**~Jessica**


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